Book vending machine



DeC- 8, 1964 R. w. sToNE ErAL 3,160,315

' Book VENDING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOU RICHARD M S10/v5.

F17 8 ARA/aw mAcxfeMA/va' CHAR; :s L. NrQU/sr y. ATTORNEY 3,160,315 BK VENDEN@ ItiACqlNE Richard W. Stone, Minneapolis, Arnold W. Ackerman, St.

Paul, and Charles L. Nyquist, Minneapolis, M inn.,

assignors to Puhlishers Vending Services, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporatien of Minnesota Filed Mar. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 99,437 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-127) vThis invention relates to book vending machines. More particularly, it relates to machines designed to vend singly a plurality of books of different prices and sizes.

It is a general object of our invention to provide a novel and improved multiple book vending machine of simple and inexpensive construction.

A more specific object is to provide a novel and improved multiple book vending machine which is simple in construction and design and functions in an improved fool-proof manner.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved multiple book vending machine which is constructed and designed to obviate `to a large measure the electrical problems heretofore experienced with various article vending machines.

Another object is to Jprovide a novel and improved book vending machine constructed and designed to provide positive vending and avoid failure to vend or discharge the article upon the receipt of the purchase price in coins.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved book vending machine constructed and designed to eliminate twisting, wedging, etc. of the movable portions of the vend mechanism and consequent faulty vending operations.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved book vending machine constructed and designed to support the weight of the books in an improved manner.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FiG. l is a front elevational view of an embodiment of our invention with portions thereof broken away to show the interior thereof and with the gates and doorsV removed from the individual cells of the machine.

FlG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View on an enlarged scale of the lower right hand corner of our vending machine as viewed from the front.

FIG, 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view on a still larger scale of the vending mechanism of our book vendor with the adjacent end plate of the movable frame and the adjacent side wall of the book cells removed.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the entire book vending machine with the adjacent wall removed. j

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed view on an enlarged scale of the book retaining gate disposed at the front of the vend area on each cell of books.

PEG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on a greatly enlarged scale along line 6 6 of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 7 and 8 contain a schematic wiring diagram illustrating the various switches, relays, and sequence of operation as described herein.

One embodiment of our invention as shown in FIGS. 1-7 includes a housing 10 having a front door 11 and a book chute 12. As best shown in FIG. l, the housing 1i? is comprised of a lxed frame 13 having a plurality of vertically extending stack separators v14 suspended from the top of the housing 10 and a cross member 15 at the bottom thereof fxedly secured to a base member 16 which g United States Patent O 3,160,315 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 ice in turn is fixedly secured to the side walls 13a and 13b of the frame.

The vertical stack separators 14 are panel members having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending slots 17 formed therein. These slots 17 are each disposed below arpair of oppositely disposed book rails 18 which cooperatively define cells between the adjacent pairs of separators 14 to support separate stacks of books 19. The vertically arranged stacks lof books 19 are freely slidable on the inwardly extending ledges of the book rails 18 as best shown in FIG. 1 and are arranged so that their ends are disposed toward the forward and rearward portions respectively of the frame 13.

Mounted upon the adjacent pairs of stack separators 14 across each of the cells therebetween is amounting plate 20 which, as best shown in FIG. 6, is secured to the upper portion of each of the cells in such a manner that the lower portion is unobstructed thereby. Individual door members 21 are hingedly mounted upon the upper end portion of each of the mounting plates 20 in such a manner as to swing forwardly from a vertically extending position as shown in FIG. 6, and to depend across the vend area indicated by the numeral 22 of each of the cells. The vertically extending sleeve member 23 is fixedly secured to the outer surface of each of `the mounting plates 20 and carries therewithin a retaining gate 24 as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The sleeves 23 each have a plurality of detents 25 which are adapted to engage corresponding recesses formed in the forward surface of the gate member 24 to permit vertical adjustment of the gate member, as can best be seen in FIG. 6.

Mounted for movement between the forward and rearward ends of the frame 13 is a movable frame indicated generally by the numeral 26. This movable frame 26 includes a pair of generally triangular shaped end plates 27 one each of which is disposed at opposite sides of the fixed frame 13 and support a plurality of vertically spaced cross bars 28. Each of the cross bars 28 carries a plurality of book engaging members 29 which consist of a piano hinge 30 carrying an angulated pivot member 31 having depending teeth 32 at its forward end. Its rearward end portion 33 is angulated downwardly, as besty shown in FIG. 3, to engage the slip plate of individual solenoids as clearly shown in FIG. 3 and to be more fully described hereinafter.

Each of the side plates 27 is supported by a sleeve element 34 which rides around a slide bar 35 that extends forwardly from the rearward portion ofthe frame 13 to the forward portion thereof, as best shown in FIG. 4 and FG. 2. Reference to FIG. 2 shows a rack 36 mounted Ion the side plate 27 and extending parallel to the sleeve v 34 in cooperative driven relation to a pinion 37 which in` turn is mounted upon a transverse shaft 38 that extends across the frame 13 and carries a similar pinion at the opposite end thereof to drive a similar rack carried by the opposite side plate 27. The shaft 38 is driven by a gear 39 and a chain 40 and by a pair of motors 411 and 42 which rotate in opposite directions and are each connected to the drive shaft 43 that carries the drive gear 44 to drive the chain 40 alternately in opposite directions.

Mounted upon the rear of the fixed frame 13 is a plu rality of solenoids 45, each of which is provided with an armature 46 and a slip plate 47 connected thereto. The slip plate 47 engages the angulated portion 33 of the book engaging member 29 to cause the latter to shift between the two positions shown in FIG. 3 andin the manner illustrated therein. It will be appreciated, of course, that there is a solenoid provided for each of the cells defined by the fixed frame 13 to activate each of the book engaging members 29 in the manner herein disclosed. The selector knob 4S is utilized to electrically connect the desired solenoid 45 with the coin activated Q, mi.

mechanism 49 .to cause the solenoid associated'with the desired book to be activated when the purchase coins areA deposited in the coin mechanism, the coins, of course,

functioning to activate the solenoids 45 selected by the purchaser by manipulation of the selector knob.

Mounted adjacent the vend areas 24 of the individual cells adjacent the lower portion of the frame 13 is apivoted trip 50 which is ldisposed in position Ito be engaged and :tripped by any book which is vended from one of the cells and is electrically connected with the refund mechanism to cause the purchase coins to be returned to the purchaser in the event the supply of selectedv items or books has been exhausted within the machine. y

The -trip 50 is electrically connected so that the purchase price in c-oins will be returned to the purchaser if a book fails to descend through the chute 12.

FIGS. 7 and 8 contain a schematiowiring diagram illustrating the mode of operation and electrical con-` nections incorporated in my invention.V Reference lto FIG. 7 shows the coin selector box 49 adapted to receive one or more coins of various denominations, which coins vwill close one or more of the coin sensitive switches 51.,

solenoids 52. Rotation of the accumulatorarm 55 causes its contact 56 to register withl the proper contact 57 to establish a circuit of the proper monetary value, each of the contacts 57 being connected to a dierent circuit of a particular monetary value. t Eachl of the contacts 57 is connected'to an kelectrical line 58 which terminates in FIG. 7 at the upperxportion of they figure and are shown again at the lower'left hand corner of FIG. 8. Prior selection having been made by turning the selector knob 4S, one of these lines 58 is connected by the selector with the solenoid 45 of the stack in which the desired book is found. For the purpose of illustration we have shown a Vplurality of such' solenoids 45 all connected with a single electrical line 58 V for a particular monetary value, this particular electrical line having been identied by the numeralr 59V forthe purpose of discussion. Thus Vit can beseen that a plurality of `stacks having the same monetary value can be utilized and the purchaser may be assured that the book selected will be vended by manipulation of the selector knob 4S prior to inserting the purchase coins. Actuatiou of the solenoids 45 causesthe book-engaging rnernber 29 to be shifted tobook-engaging position as pre? viously described.

Energization of any one of the vending relays 60 causes switch 61 to close, thereby establishing a circuit to the motor 41 which will drive the rack 26 forwardly to vend- Y ing position. Closing of the switch 61 energizes a latching relay L which causes switch arm 63 to swing over Yits spring loading until the rack assembly 23 returns *to starting position. v

The Vrack assembly 26 continues onto its forwardmost position where the selection to be vended drops through the vend area and strikes the trip S on its way out. This trip 50 is mechanically connected to the cash box solenoid switch 68. The closing-of the switch 68 by the trip 50 causes all of the coins to be emptied from the escrow unit 69 of the coin mechanism to the cash box indicated in FIG. 7 by the term accept and the numeral 70. Closing of the switch 68 also causes the accumulator mechanism reset relay 71 to be actuated to permit;V the accumulator to be reset, the disc 54 being spring loaded as indicated at the numeral 72. Resetting of the accumulator mechanism causes the vend relay 60 to be de-energized, since thevarm 55 breaks contact with each of the contacts 57. v

As the rack 26 reaches its forwardmost positionv it closes the reversing switch 73. Closing Vthis switch 73 energizes the coil 66 of the latching relay, thereby switching the contacts to the reversed position shown in FIG. 8 and establishing an electrical circuit to the reversing `2 motor 42. The switch 63 of the latchingy relay will at the purchaser.

against contacts 64 which is connected to an electrical line running to the forward motor 41. Energization of the forward motor 41 drives'the pinion 47, as best seen in FIG. 2, which causes the rack 26 to move forwardly.

As the rack 26 moves forwardly, switch 65, which is nortained in registering relation withl contact 64 but this.

can be overcome by actuation of the coil 66. Switch 6,5

is released to open position by a switch engaging element 67 carried by the sleeve 34 asythe rack 26 moves forwardly. 'Ihe'switch 65 is maintained in open position by that time be in the position shown in FIG. 8, the circuit beingY established from the main line through the switch 63and the switch 79 to the reversing motor.

- As therack 26 is driven rearwardly bythe reversing motor 42, the switch engaging element 34a which is carried by the sleeve, 34 with the rack 26 engages the switch 74 and moves it to closed position.V It will be noted that'during the forward movement of the sleeve34 this p switch 74 was merely depressed but was not moved to closed position while during the rearward movement the 'switch is closed to ground the two contacts shown in FIG. 8. It will be noted that one of these contactsY'YS is connected to the return relay 76 which causes the coin held in the escrow unit (if there be any) to be returned to Thus, if the accept mechanism has not been previously activated to cause the coins to go into the cash box, the coins will at this pointbe returned to the purchaser. It will be noted, however, vthat if the vend was completed, the-accept solenoid 77 was previously actuated to causeV the coins to be dropped into the cash box. The other ,contact 78 is Yconnected to the resetY solenoid 71 so thatv the accumulator will be returned to Resetting of the accumulator causes'the vend As the rack 26 approaches its rearwardrnost position it opens the shut off switch 79, thereby stopping the motor.

The inertia of the rack is such that it continues to move rearward and stop at-its rearwardrnost'lposition at which position switch 65 is closed. `Since thevend relay 60 is in de-energized condition, closing of the switch 65 has no elfect'but. does condition the lineso that upon activation of the vend relay 60 and consequent closing of switch v61, the circuit will again be closed to the forward motor 41 for a second vend. j It will be noted that manual operation of the switch 80 rests the accumulator and alsoactivates the return solenoid 76.2v v v The coin selector 49, the escrow unit69, the accept and return units, and the accumulator are all standard units which are used conventionally inthe trade and can be purchased on the open market. Patents No. 2,459,008, 2,247,488, 2,744,603, 2,768,727, 2,649,947, 2,604,966, 2,607,463, 2,619,213, 2,656,029, 2,606,803, 2,669,335 are pertinent'to one or more of these devices and may bey referredto for guidance in their construction,V if desired. From the aboveit can be seen that our book vending machine has some very distinctive advantages in that it is very simplein construction and design and functions in such a manner as to avoid most of the problems found inl similar machines. y'It'pwill be noted that the book enyg'aging means engages the book between the pages thereor jarring of the machine and to insure that there is not a premature vend under which conditions both the article of selection and the coins could be obtained by the prospective purchaser by simultaneously jarring the machine and activating the manual coin return switch S0.

One of the big advantages of our book vending machine is that much of the trouble inherent in most vending machines in their electrical Wiring system has been overcome. We have accomplished this by ixedly mounting the solenoid upon the xed rack of the machine, thereby obviating the usual electrical diiculties involved when the solenoid moves with the article engaging structure under this latter arrangement, many electrical diculties arise because the lead lines to the solenoids are repeatedly being exed and strained. f By tixedly mounting the solenoid so as to actuate an article engaging means which will remain in article engaging position after leaving the solenoid, we have overcome this diiculty normally attendant to such machines.

It will also be noted that with our book vending machine construction it is practically impossible for the machine to operate without vending an article from the selected cell if there are any such articlestherein. Moreover, no jarring of the machine or other abuse can successfully cause the article engaging member to disengage the same for, as bestr shown in FIG. 3, the teeth of the article engaging element extend into the element itself between the pages thereof to not only insure engagement but to preclude early disengagement as the article reaches vend position.

It will also be noted that the vertical stack separators 14 are suspended from the roof or upper Wall of the casing 10. We have found that by suspending the weight of the book stacks from the upper portion of the machine, we have eliminated a very serious tendency in such machines to distort, twist, and otherwise reect the excessive weight of the stacks. This is particularly true in the larger machines Where a considerable number of different books are olercd for sale for in such devices the Weight of the books becomes substantial and tends to cause the stack separators to bow or otherwise distort as a direct result of the Weight of the articles. By suspending the Weight of the articles from the top Wall of the housing, we have completely eliminated this undesirable tendency. In doing so we have also eliminated the adverse e'iect of such twisting, wedging, etc. upon the movable portions of the vend mechanism and thereby eliminated faulty vending operations which are frequently caused by such deformation.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and pro-v portions of the parts without departing from the scope of this invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An article dispenser', comprising a multi-cellular frame having a plurality of aligned cells each having means adapted to support a vertical stack of a plurality of articles to be dispensed and having a dispensing area, a second frame movable toward and away from said area transversely of said rst mentioned frame and of such stacks when the latter are so supported, mechanism connected to said second frame for reciprocably moving the same transversely of said irst mentioned frame and toward and away from said dispensing area, a plurality of article-engaging members each movably mounted on said second frame adjacent said means of one of said cells and being movable thereon between article-engaging and dise-ngaging positions relative to the lowermost article of the stack within that cell and being movable with said second frame, and a plurality of electrical actuators each xedly mounted on said rst mentioned frame adjacent one of said article-engaging members in movement-inducing relation thereto, each of said electrical actuators upon energization thereof moving its associated articleengag ing member into article-engaging position, and means connected with said actuator for selectively energizing one of said actuators as said second frame is moved toward said dispensing area and keeping said actuator energized until said second frame is moved away from said dispensing area and thereby causing the lowermost article of the stack within the cell associated with said actuator to be dispensed, said second frame including a pair of upright end plates one each of which is ldisposed at opposite sides of said first mentioned frame and carries a sleeve element extending parallel to the direction of movement of said second frame, said mechanism including a pair of slide bars one each of which is received within one of said sleeve elements and slidably mounts saidy second frame for its movement toward and away from said vend area.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said mechanism includes a rack carried by each of said end plates and a pair of pinions one each of which is associated in driving relation, with each of said racks.

References Cited in the le of this patent Danziger et al. Sept. 19, 1961 

1. AN ARTICLE DISPENSER COMPRISING A MULTI-CELLULAR FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED CELLS EACH HAVING MEANS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A VERTICAL STACK OF A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE TO BE DISPENSED AND HAVING A DISPENSING AREA, A SECOND FRAME MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID AREA TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED FRAME AND OF SUCH STACKS WHEN THE LATTER ARE SO SUPPORTED, MECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND FRAME FOR RECIPROCABLY MOVING THE SAME TRANSVERSELY OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED FRAME AND TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID DISPENSING AREA, A PLURALITY OF ARTICLE-ENGAGING MEMBERS EACH MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND FRAME ADJACENT SAID MEANS OF ONE SAID CELLS AND BEING MOVABLE THEREON BETWEEN ARTICLE-ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE OF THE STACK WITHIN THAT CELL AND BEING MOVABLE WITH SAID SECOND FRAME, AND A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICAL ACTUATORS EACH FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST MENTIONED FRAME ADJACENT ONE OF SAID ARTICLE-ENGAGING MEMBERS IN MOVEMENT-INDUCING RELATION THERETO, EACH OF SAID ELECTRICAL ACTUATORS UPON ENERGIZATION THEREOF MOVING ITS ASSOCIATED ARTICLE-ENGAGING MEMBER INTO ARTICLE-ENGAGING POSITION, AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID ACTUATOR FOR SELECTIVELY ENERGIZING ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS AS SAID SECOND FRAME IS MOVED TOWARD SAID DISPENSING AREA AND KEEPING SAID ACTUATOR ENERGIZED UNTIL SAID SECOND FRAME IS MOVED AWAY FROM SAID DISPENSING AREA AND THEREBY CAUSING THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE OF THE STACK WITHIN THE CELL ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ACTUATOR TO BE DISPENSED, SAID SECOND FRAME INCLUDING A PAIR OF UPRIGHT END PLATES ONE EACH OF WHICH IS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FIRST MENTIONED FRAME AND CARRIES A SLEEVE ELEMENT EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND FRAME, SAID MECHANISM INCLUDING A PAIR OF SLIDE BARS ONE EACH OF WHICH IS RECEIVED WITHIN ONE OF SAID SLEEVE ELEMENTS AND SLIDABLY MOUNTS SAID SECOND FRAME FOR ITS MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID VEND AREA. 